It will create a combined company with revenue over $8 billion, including $3.6 billion in the magazine and book printing markets alone, according to the Open Market Institute letter. The next largest two publication printers generated a combined $275 million in 2018, according to the Open Markets Institute. The Open Markets institute letter suggests there’s fear rippling across the magazine industry about the loss of price stability the merger might create. But the Open Markets Institute argues that the failing-firm justification doesn’t apply to Quad and LSC. “Given that Quad and LSC are proposing a merger to monopoly in two markets, the Antitrust Division should block this merger, and further, require Quad and LSC to sell off their magazine distribution subdivisions.”

Source: Forbes March 10, 2019 20:37 UTC